Pottsville sirens to be ready by tornado seasonPOTTSVILLE — Mayor Jerry Williams told the Pottsville City Council during its regular meeting Monday that four tornado sirens the city purchased are scheduled to arrive in early March. During its Jan. 26 meeting, the council approved the purchase of the sirens for $79,800. "They'll start marking spots when [the sirens] come in," Williams said after the meeting. "It should take about three days to install." He said the sirens should be installe...

News Briefs (Feb. 25, 2015)American Legion singing canceled The American Legion singing for Thursday night has been canceled due to the pancake and sausage breakfast to be held on Friday. The next singing will be held on Thursday, March 5. American Legion Baseball Breakfast The American Legion Baseball Sausage and Pancake Breakfast will be held from 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Friday at American Legion Post 20 in Russellville. Each year, Russellville’s American Legion Post 2...

Truck stalls on track before fiery train crash, 28 injuredOXNARD, Calif. (AP) — A commuter train slammed into a truck stuck on the tracks early Tuesday, sending three rail cars tumbling onto their sides and injuring 28 people in the fiery crash in California. The accident occurred around 5:45 a.m. about 65 miles northwest of Los Angeles. Four people, including the train engineer, had critical injuries. The truck driver was found disoriented 1 or 2 miles away, said Jason Benitez, an assistant chief of...

Blytheville considering repayment plan for sanitation debtBLYTHEVILLE (AP) — The city of Blytheville is considering a plan to repay the state tax sales that its trash and sanitation services have failed to pay since 2004. The Jonesboro Sun reported that finance director John Callens, along with Mayor James Sanders, are negotiating a deal with the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration to repay a debt of about $970,000. With penalties and interest, the city owes about $1.6 million. The plan...

Pine Bluff officials take no action for collapsed buildingsPINE BLUFF (AP) — Even after holding a meeting, the Pine Bluff City Council is still trying to decide what to do with the remains of two downtown buildings that collapsed. The council met Monday, and Mayor Debe Hollingsworth proposed spending $240,000 from the city's reserve fund to hire a crew to remove the debris. The ordinance was read once, but no action was taken. An ordinance needs to be read three times before a vote can take place. The...

House passes lottery bill, sends to HutchinsonLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas lawmakers have passed and sent to Gov. Asa Hutchinson a bill that would abolish the independent lottery commission and instead place it under Hutchinson's control. The state House voted 84-3 Tuesday to endorse shifting responsibility for the games' operations to the state Department of Finance and Administration. The existing nine-member Lottery Commission would be dissolved and the governor would appoint a games di...

Harrison judge responds health inspection of courthouseHARRISON (AP) — Boone County Judge Robert Hathaway has responded to the Arkansas Department of Health inspection report that shows several health concerns in a 108-yeal-old county courthouse. The Harrison Daily Times reported that Hathaway acknowledged the symptoms like headaches, dizziness, nausea, sneezing, and coughing that employees have experienced, but said that the situation was not as bad as the report suggested. The judge told his emp...

House committee rejects car cellphone regulationsLITTLE ROCK (AP) — A dashboard video showing a state trooper narrowly avoiding a head-on collision with a driver who was using a cellphone wasn't enough to sway an Arkansas House committee that tougher laws are needed. The Public Transportation Committee voted 11-7 on Tuesday against a bill that would have prohibited people from using cellphones without hands-free devices to dial a phone number, use social media or utilize a map application wh...

Hutchinson signs measure expanding computer science classesLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson has signed into law a measure requiring public high schools to offer computer science courses in the coming school year. Hutchinson signed the bill Tuesday, following through on a campaign promise he says was inspired by his 12-year-old granddaughter learning computer coding. Hutchinson, a Republican, was elected in November. The new law gives districts the option of offering the courses in-perso...

House panel to consider Robert E. Lee memorial dayLITTLE ROCK (AP) — An Arkansas lawmaker plans to revive an attempt to separate the state's practice of honoring civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. and Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee on the same day by creating a memorial day for Lee. A similar bill failed twice to advance out of the House State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee after an outpouring of public comment from people who said the change belittles southern heritage. De...

Brock crowned Miss Arkansas Tech 2015The third time was the charm for Haven Brock. An early childhood education major from Haskell, Brock was crowned the 60th Miss Tech on Friday night during the 2015 Miss Arkansas Tech University Scholarship Pageant at Witherspoon Auditorium. Daughter of Casson and Eric Brock, the Arkansas Tech junior captured the Lindsey Ahrens Vocal Award, the Nona Dirksmeyer Award for overall talent and a share of the CenturyLink Interview Award on her way to...

Johnson County adds sheriff deputyCLARKSVILLE — The Johnson County Quorum Court unanimously approved the employment of a new Johnson County deputy during its recent February meeting at the Johnson County Courthouse. The Quorum Court approved to allow Johnson County Sheriff Larry Jones to hire a new deputy with a salary of $28,714, which includes a six-month raise. Also approved was the hire of a mechanic at the road department with a starting salary of $14.52 per hour. The Quo...

Body found after fire extinguished at Vilonia mobile homeVILONIA — Central Arkansas authorities say a body was found after firefighters extinguished a fire at a mobile home this weekend. The Faulkner County Sheriff's Office says it has determined the Sunday incident to be a possible homicide from the evidence collected at the scene. The identity of the victim hasn't been released. The Vilonia and Hilltop Fire Departments responded to the Vilonia residence, where firefighters discovered the body in o...

Arkansas prison program pairs inmates, mentors for changeLITTLE ROCK — A faith-based program inside an Arkansas prison matches inmates with outside mentors in an attempt to change the course of the inmates' lives. Pathway to Freedom is housed in a facility operated by the Arkansas Department of Corrections at Wrightsville, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported Sunday. The pre-release program serves 200 inmates, violent and nonviolent, and provides a stringent, boot-camp-like curriculum that include...

7 Little Rock elementary schools to get greenhousesLITTLE ROCK — Seven Little Rock elementary schools soon will get greenhouses as part of a joint city and school district effort to teach students about eating healthy foods. The greenhouses will be installed next month at Carver, Booker, Mabelvale, Geyer Springs, Romine, Bale and Franklin elementary schools. The greenhouses will cost just under $14,000 total, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported. A $25,000 award the city won last year from t...

Fire destroys 3 buildings at former theme park in ArkansasMARBLE FALLS — North Arkansas authorities say a fire has destroyed three buildings at a former theme park. The Newton County sheriff's office received a report early Sunday about a fire at Dogpatch USA, a former attraction based on Al Capp's "Li'l Abner" comic strip. It closed in 1993. Glenn Wheeler, fire chief of the Krooked Kreek Volunteer Fire Department, says one building already was destroyed and two others were engulfed in flames when fi...

RSD increases secondary curriculum guidesA supplemental guide for the Russellville School District (RSD) community can now be accessed online because of the increased efforts of teachers and administrators to present an aligned curriculum. The aligned curriculum helps parents and students find detailed course information, as well as helps the district to ensure every child is learning the same information no matter who is teaching it, RSD Director of Secondary Curriculum and Instruct...

Arkansas authorities investigating tractor-trailer break-insLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Multiple law enforcement agencies are working together to investigate a string of tractor-trailer break-ins and cargo thefts in eastern Arkansas. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that more than 80 tractor-trailers have been broken into in Crittenden, Mississippi and St. Francis counties since late December. Items have been stolen from at least 15 vehicles. In January, 102 firearms were stolen from an 18-wheeler when it ...

Winter weather is snow funWinter storms moved through the Arkansas River Valley — and much of the state — Sunday and Monday, closing schools and allowing children to enjoy the snow. Hazardous conditions prompted the Russellville Police Department to close South Glenwood Avenue and Skyline Drive. Pope County Sheriff Shane Jones reported some slick areas on northern county roads. Several area schools were closed Monday including Arkansas Tech University and St. John Cath...